Accenting device.



A. THOMAS, JR. ACGENTING DEVICE.

APBLIOATION FILED 1211.24, 1911.

' Patented D60. 26, 1 911.

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Zmventov (Iitornegs COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

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' AGGBNTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 24,1911.

1,012,932. Patented De( 26,1911

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. C-

ANDREW THOMAS,

JR, OF ASHLAND, KENTUCKY.

ACGE'NTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed April 24, 1911. Serial No. 623,021.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW THOMAS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accenting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to player pianos and has for an object to provide proved means for controlling the expresslon.

A further object of the invention is to provide in addition to the ordinary hammer rest rail an auxiliary hammer rail which normally raises the hammers above or nearer to the strings than the ordinary hammer rest rail whereby the throw of the hammer being less the tone will be lighter, and with improved means for curving the hammer rest rail to permit certain hammers to move the full stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide the flexible hammer rest rail with improved pneumatic means for curving such flexible hammer rest rail at predetermined intervals whereby such curvature may be moved from one end of the auxiliary hammer rest rail to the other.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved pneumatic means for curving the flexible hammer rest rail 'and with a pointer positioned to follow the theme or other part of the music upon the traveling music sheet and connected with valves controlling the pneumatics so that the curvature of the flexible hammer rest rail follows the pointer.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved valves and valve housing means for controlling the pneumatics.

A further object of the invention is to rovide an improved controlling box connected with. the pointer whereby the admission of air to the several pneumatics is automatically controlled by the movement of the pointer.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan view of the hammer rest rail, auxiliary 1 rail 11.

hammer rest rail, hammers associated therewith and pneumatics for controlling the auxiliary or flexible hammer rest rail, seen in top plan. Fig. 2 is a view of the pneumatics and pneumatic controlling devices in side elevation as indicated by arrows 2 at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the wind chest and one of the pneumatics for controlling the flexible hammer rest rail. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the wind chest with one of the pneumatics connected therewith and shown in relation to one of the hammers. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the pneumatic valve controlling the admission of air to and from the wind chest. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the auxiliary or flexible hammer rest rail. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the controlling box. Fig. 8 is a view of the controlling box in side elevation as indicated by arrow 8 at Fig. 7.

Like characters of reference indicate similar parts on the drawings throughout the several views.

As shown at Figs. 1 and 4; the normal hammer rail 10 is in the usual position but spaced therefrom is a flexible hammer rest This flexible hammer rest rail can be made up of any approved material that will permit the local curvature or bending of the same but preferably is made as indicated at Fig. strip of metal 12 covered upon both sides with a felting. The flexible hammer rest rail 11 is supported upon a plurality of links 13 which in turn are connected by means of brackets 14: with pneumatics 15. The pneumatics 15 are ordinary collapsible pneumatics and are connected to a wind chest 16 which extends the entire length of the hammer rest rail. The wind chest 16 is provided throughout its length with a continuous chamber 17. The several pneumatics 15 connect with such chamber 17 by means of a passage 18 shown at Fig. 4 which communicates with a valve passage 19 in which is mounted a valve 20 carried upon a valve stem 21. The valve 20 is adapted to put the passage 18 into communication with the chamber 17 when down and into communication with the atmosphere when up. The wind chest 16 is under exhaust so that when the valve 20 is up the atmospheric pressure within the pneumatic 15 permits such pneumatic to open and when the valve 20 is down the exhaust from the wind chest 16 exhausts 6 of a long integral flexible the air from such pneumatic 15 and the atmospheric pressure upon the exterior closes such valve. The closing of the valve moves the flexible hammer rest rail 11 forward to the dotted position shown as 11.

As shown at Fig. 1 all of the pneumatics 15 are exhausted except the one indicated as 15 which is expanded bringing the flexible hammer rest rail 11 back to the position to coincide with the principal hammer rest rail 10. The several hammers 22 are therefore normally held away from the regular hammer rest rail so that the throw of such hammer is but a fraction of the normal throw and the strike of such hammer upon the string is therefore softened. Then one of the pneumatics is inflated as shown at 15 in Fig. l the flexible rail is curved whereby the hammers are permitted the full stroke thereby accenting that part of the music. To control each of the valves 20 each of the valve stems 21 is connected with a pouch 23 which in turn communicates with a chamber 24. There are as many of these chambers 24 as there are pneumatics 15 such chambers 24 being formed in the top of the material of the wind chest 16 and each communicating by a pipe 25 with a controller box shown as a whole at 26. The controller box 26 is provided with a plurality of openings 27 which are in direct and uninterrupted communication with the tubes 25 so that normally the tubes 25 are open to the atmosphere and the pouch 23 under such pressure of the atmosphere which holds the valve 20 down and the pneumatic 15 therefore in communication with the chamber 17 and under exhaust.

Upon the top of the controller box 26 a large slide 28 is mounted having an elon gated slot which exposes all but one of the openings 26 or more properly all of such openings 26 with an additional opening 29 at one end which is in communication with a tube 30, such tube 30 extending to the pneumatic 31. lVith the slide 28 positioned as shownin the drawings the opening 29 is closed whereby the atmospheric pressure is cut ofi? from the pipe 30. The chamber 32 within the pneumatic 31 is under exhaust from the main wind chest so that when atmospheric pressure is cut off from the pipe 30, as indicated at Fig. 5, the pouch 33 is inactive, the pressure upon the opposite sides of such valve being equalized through the bleeder 34. The position of the valves at Fig. 5 is that of the atmospheric pressure being applied to the pouch 33 which is accomplished by moving the slide until the hole 29 is uncovered. When this takes place the atmospheric pressure enters through the pipe 30 to the pouch 33 forcing such pouch downwardly as indicated at Fig. 5, closing the valve 35 and opening the valve 36, whereby atmospheric pressure is ad- Initted through the passage 37 to the passage 38 to therear of the pouch 39 whereby the valve 40 is opened and the chamber 17 placed in communication with the chamber 32 therefore under exhaust. hen the slide 28 is in the position shown in the drawings pneumatics 15 are all deflated but there is no curvature in the auxiliary hammer rest rail. When not in use all of the pneumatics by reason of ordinary leakage will quickly become inflated and the auxiliary hammer rest rail returned to the position shown at Fig. 4.

lVhen the device is to be used for accenting the slide is moved to uncover the hole 29 whereby atmospheric pressure is admitted to the rear of the pouch 31, chamber 17 placed under exhaust which exhausts all of the pneumatics l5 and moves the auxiliary hammer rest rail to the position shown in dotted lines at- Fig. 4. When it is stated that all of the pneumatics 15 are deflated. it is to be understood that all are deflated except such as are in communication with one of the holes 27 covered by the slide 28. It will be apparent that when any one of the holes 27 is covered the atmospheric pressure from the rear of the pouch 23 is removed and by reason of the bleeder 41 the pressure upon opposite sides of such pouch is equalized and the pressure of the atmos phere upon the valve 20 opens such valve admitting the atmosphere to the valve 15 to expand the same and produce the curvature in the auxiliary rail. It will be apparent therefore that as the slide 28 is moved longitudinally of the controller box 26, diflerent holes 27 are covered thereby changing the position of the curvature of the auxiliary rail as indicated at Fig. 1. The slide 28 is connected with a rod 42 which is in turn connected with a rod 43 carried by the pointer 44.

The controller box 26 is preferably of such length that the position occupied by the holes 27, is equal in length to the width of the music sheet so that as the pointer 44 is moved across the music sheet to follow the theme of the music the slide 28 is moved in synchronism therewith and the curvature of the auxiliary rail 11 moved up and down the scale to provide for the full throw of the hammers at the point where the theme is to be rendered. In the illustration only nine of the pneumatics 15 are illustrated and the accompanying structure but it is apparent that any number may be employed as desired but few have been illustrated for simplicity of disclosure and convenience of explanation. It will also be apparent that if desired more than one of the holes 27 may be covered and consequently more than one of the pneumatics 15 inflated giving a longer curvature to the auxiliary hammer rail. To make it clear however only one is shown as covered and only one pneumatic is shown as inflated.

I claim 1. In a piano, a hammer rest rail, a flexible hammer rail adjacent the hammer rest rail and means to curve the flexible hammer rail at desired positions.

2. In a piano, a hammer rest rail, a flexible rail adjacent the hammer rest rail, means to curve the flexible rail and means to change the position of curvature of such flexible rail.

8. In a piano, a hammer rest rail, a flexible rail adjacent the hammer rail, means to move the flexible rail away from the hammer rest rail and means to curve the flexible rail toward the hammer rest rail.

4. In a piano, a hammer rest rail, a flexible rail adjacent the hammer rest rail, means to move the flexible rail away from the hammer rail, means to curve the flexible rail toward the hammer rest rail and means to change the position of curvature of the flexible rail.

5. In a piano, a hammer rest rail, a flexible rail equal in length to the hammer rest rail, means to curve the flexible rail intermediate its ends and means to change the position of curvature of the flexible rail.

6. In a piano, a hammer rest rail, a flexible rail extending longitudinally equal in length to the hammer rest rail, a plurality of pneumatics either one capable of curving the flexible rail and means to actuate either of the pneumatics.

7. In a piano, a flexible hammer rest rail, a plurality of pneumatics supporting the flexible rail and means to change the relation of one pneumatic -to the others to cause a curvature of the flexible rail.

8. In a piano, a flexible hammer rest rail positioned to support the hammers, a plurality of pneumatics positioned to support the hammer rest rail, and means to selectively control one of the pneumatics to produce a curvature of the hammer rest rail.

9. In a piano, a main hammer rest rail, a flexible rail, a plurality of pneumatics positioned to support the flexible rail, means to exhaust the pneumatics to move the flexible rail away from the main hammer rest rail and means to inflate one of the pneumatics to form a curvature of the flexible rail toward the main hammer rest rail.

10. In a piano, a flexible hammer rest rail, a wind chest extending adjacent the flexible rail, means to exhaust the wind chest, a plurality of pneumatics attached to the wind chest and supporting the flexible rail and means to selectively control the communication of the pneumatics with the wind chest.

11. In a piano, a flexible hammer rest rail, a wind chest extending longitudinally of and adjacent the flexible rail, a plurality of pneumatics in communication with the wind chest and supporting the flexible rail and means to selectively control the communication between the pneumatics and the wind chest.

12. In a piano, a hammer rest rail capable of curvature, a wind chest, a plurality of pneumatics carried by the wind chest and adapted to control the curvature of the rail, means to exhaust air from the wind chest, a pneumatic adapted to control the exhaust of the air from the wind chest and means to selectively control such pneumatic.

13. In a piano, a hammer rest rail capable of curvature, a wind chest extending adjacent the rail, a plurality of pneumatics carried by the wind chest, a controller box capable of selectively controlling the several pneumatics, a music sheet pointer and means connecting the music sheet pointer and controller box to operate in synchronism. 14:. In a piano, a flexible hammer rest rail, a wind chest having a longitudinally extending chamber, a plurality of pneumatics carried upon the wind chest at spaced intervals and controlling the flexible rail, independent valve mechanisms controlling the passage from the chamber of the wind chest to the several pneumatics, a controller box and independent conduits leading from the controller box to each of the several valve mechanisms.

15. In a piano, a bendable hammer rest rail, a wind chest extending longitudinally of and adjacent the rail and having a continuous chamber, a plurality of pneumatics in communication with the chamber of the wind chest, a valve positioned to control the admission and exhaust of atmospheric air from the pouch, a second pouch positioned to control said second valve, a controller box and a conduit leading from said controller box to said second pouch.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW THOMAS, J R.

Witnesses:

BRUCE PRESTON, L. F. ZEIFOSS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

